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Eger Language
Eger Language

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Building Eger v0.1: An Experimental Programming Language Engine Built from Scratch (Windows Release)

#showdev #python #compiler #programming

Hey DEV Community! 👋

I'm excited to share Eger v0.1, an experimental programming language engine built from scratch.

What started as a prototype (Eger_Compiler.py) has officially been upgraded into a fully executable, standalone Windows toolchain.

💡 What is Eger?

Eger is an experimental, open-source programming language featuring an elegant, Python-inspired syntax.

Developed with the assistance of Gemini AI, Eger is built in Python using llvmlite as a compiled programming language that leverages LLVM for low-level code generation and runtime execution.

Key Features in v0.1:

  • Standalone Windows Installer: Easy setup package built with Inno Setup.
  • Environment PATH Support: Automatically adds eger to your System PATH so you can invoke it directly from cmd.
  • Interactive REPL: Run eger from terminal to test code interactively.
  • LLVM Runtime Execution: Uses memory-managed execution via the LLVM MCJIT engine.

🛠️ Architecture & Lessons Learned

During the initial release, I hit a major packaging challenge:

  • The Issue: Bundling llvmlite into a single-file executable (--onefile) triggered Windows Application Control errors (WinError 4551) when attempting to unpack llvmlite.dll to the system's Temp directory.
  • The Solution: I transitioned to a directory-based bundle (--onedir) wrapped inside a standard Windows Setup installer. Installing directly to structured program folders resolved security policies and binary initialization failures.

🚀 Try it Out!

If you are on Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit), you can download and test the release today:

  1. 📥 Download Installer: Eger v0.1 Installer (.exe)
  2. 💻 GitHub Repository: egerlanguage/Eger
  3. 🌐 Project Website: Eger Documentation

⚠️ Note for Early Alpha Users: If you cloned earlier commits containing Eger_Compiler.py, please update to v0.1. The legacy Python script has been deprecated and replaced by the compiled binary release.

💬 Feedback & Contributions

Since this is an experimental project, I'd love to hear your feedback on:

  1. Syntax design & error reporting clarity.
  2. Installation and setup experience on your Windows machine.

Feel free to drop comments below or open an issue on our GitHub Repo!

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